Old Economy Village, home for 80 years to the 19th century German Harmony Society, is a six-acre complex with 17 original buildings. Its original, circa1824 buildings, grounds, and historic artifacts, have been carefully conserved for decades by the Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission (PHMC). All that changed in November, 2009.
Friends of Old Economy Village, a nonprofit volunteer organization, found itself suddenly in charge of almost all day-to-day functions and a severely reduced staff to help. After months of furious activity, Old Economy reopened in April for three days weekly. All this although the National Association of State Park Directors says tourist visits " ... translate to as much as $20 billion in economic activity."
Management of Nonprofit Sites
How has Friends of OEV begun to raise money to run the site, partly re-staff it, and market to tourists and school tours? FOEV's Board can't simply order up a crew of skilled reenactors and docents for each Village event. Kevin Flannery, president of the Board, is a volunteer, like every member. His day job is manager of the Borough of Sewickley PA. Until November 2009, FOEV employed just three full- and part-time staff.
Volunteers Operating Nonprofits
The real test came in operating the entire site. According to Board secretary Emily Lapisardi “... a large portion of my role during the initial crisis involved communicating with other organizations .... I helped develop an online ... petition requesting reinstatement of employees and ... funding." The petition was delivered by Flannery and director Walter Brumm to both the PA Legislature and Governor's Office in Harrisburg.
A recent National Trust for Historic Preservation report includes a section tagged Can Nonprofit Groups Save State Parks and Historic Sites? It notes that "in Pennsylvania, more than 20 ... sites are in trouble, including Old Economy Village - a rare 19th century Utopian colony – which narrowly averted closing ..., thanks to the rescue by volunteers." One of the reasons it didn't close is growing advocacy by the Board. Lapisardi says from her Rome opera class summer "... I discussed the [OEV] situation with the other singers .... They range from a Pittsburgh Opera ... soprano who had attended [our] Christmas Fundraiser ... to ... singers from Argentina and Romania. These ... advocacy moments have become common practice for many board members."
Fundraising
The largest ongoing task is fundraising. Volunteers are pressed to talk with individuals, companies, foundations and community groups - and to begin to secure donations and sponsorship funds. A major factor that raises funds and profile is to increase the special events.
Pennsylvania Brewing Co. recently sponsored a Penn Pilsner beer and German cuisine fundraising event - Oktoberfest in June - at Old Economy. " Owner and sponsor Tom Pastorious's ancestor Franz Pastorious founded Germantown PA in 1683. (Historic Germantown Philadelphia PA) Tie-ins like these are key. Next, an evening garden party with wine and hors d’oeuvres . Lapisardi and fellow directors are primed, she says, " ...to attract new ... donors/members [and] recogniz[e] current ones. The crisis raised our [profile] and many people who attended recent fundraisers had not previously been involved at ... [OEV]. Each event is carefully tailored to attract a different target audience . .... In this way we ... raise much-needed funds and foster new contacts."
Navigating theVolunteer-to-Managers Road
Recently, the Old Barracks Museum (Trenton - George Washington's famous winter victory over Hessian mercenaries) was threatened .... According to the 108-year old Old Barracks Association, "the State has provided $375,000 a year ... That’s now about 42% of the bare bones operating budget. The ... Association raises the other 58%. The Governor wants to shift all costs to the Association ....." Association staff (with volunteer help as needed) run all functions that a state agency would, according to executive director Richard Patterson.
On June 23, according to a NJ.com article, "The Old Barracks appears to have been saved from likely closure ...” Patterson is quoted with: "On the surface this is great news and we're extremely grateful ...” This is not a time ... to celebrate, just for us ... to continue ... to struggle to obtain the funds to do what we've been doing."
Although he loves American history, he is not blind to true budget crises. Despite the Barracks's 30,000 visitors/year, he knows that states must sometimes chose the distressed as against historic sites. This is why Patterson hates the fact that despite more frequent budget woes in many states, no legislatures have spent, so far as he knows, a moment or a dime planning the structure- and mission-preserving "mothballing" that the U.S. Navy does with its ships.
The Navy has careful plans to decommission each ship, park it in a naval base and bring it out to be refitted to fight again. States have no such plans to "put away" their historic heritage. Patterson notes that state-owned archives, museums and libraries initiated ultimately to provide state lawmakers with the written or recorded precedents that allow them to draft the laws and regulations with which to do their jobs!
Historic Sites: What Next?
Final results on how Friends associations and volunteer groups will cope with budget cuts/eliminations at state historic sites certainly aren't in. At the Old Barracks Museum, the Association has gained a reprieve but not a total victory. New Jersey's 56 other historic sites may still have their own battles to fight. At Pennsylvania historic sites such as Old Economy and Brandywine Battlefield, the groups have been cautiously successful for nine months. And these are only two of the threatened state heritages. All one can say now with any certainty is "stay tuned."
Larry Slater - I have been writing for publication for 35 years -literary magazines, and articles on historic homes, nonprofit boards and antiques In ...
Join the Conversation